This week we finished another series of lessons for the children’s clubs on the Coast.

We packaged them up and took them to the bus terminal to post them (Colombia’s postal service is patchy, and the quickest way to send something is often on the regular bus services).

The woman behind the counter asked what the packages were worth so as to include some insurance in the postage.

We settled on $15,000 (about £5.20 or $8.20) which wouldn’t even have covered the cost of the photocopying. But really, we should have said they were priceless. Not because they are anything special as lessons go, but because of the content: lessons on ways to live in harmony and obey legitimate authorities, on God’s unfailing love and forgiveness.

Not only is Colombia losing its place as the number one exporter of cocaine, it’s slipping down the list of coffee-exporting nations too, dropping to sixth in the latest figures produced by the International Coffee Organization.

Honduras rose to third, ahead of Indonesia and India but which countries are one and two? Brazil, as you might guess is second, behind…

You may have read about the Colombian President’s decision to open negotiations with the FARC.

There have been negotiations with different armed groups at different times over the last 30 years, so no one here is holding their breath that these will bring peace.

In fact, many people are expressing a sense of betrayal with President Santos. They voted for him because they wanted a continuation of the strong-arm tactics of his predecessor, Álvaro Uribe, not a negotiated peace.

But however it is achieved, I hope I live to see the day when Colombia is truly at peace.